Symbolism in Gran Torino

Like most good movies, Gran Torino contains a lot of symbolism throughout its story. Some symbols are obvious and some are easily missed if a person isn’t looking for them. Among the various symbols there are three that deserve extra recognition. They truly help to tell the story and fall perfectly in line with the movie’s underlying themes of life, relationships, and death. The first and most obvious is the Gran Torino, the car itself, representing the theme of life; the second is the refrigerator that Walt is moving out of his basement, less obvious but representative of a real turning point in the relationship between Walt and Thao, enhancing the theme of relationships; the third symbol, tying in with the theme of death, is the way Walt falls to the ground following the final confrontation with the gang. Considering it is the title of the film, one would expect the Gran Torino to play an active role in the movie. This is not the case, but the car still plays a very powerful role. The vehicle is dually symbolic, being representative of Walt in one manner and of Thao in a very different one. The Gran Torino represents Walt in nearly every way, shape, and form. It is his connection to the past and to better times in his eyes. It is a symbol of a time when life made more sense to Walt. It represents the hard-working, patriotic era in which he was raised and the way he lived his entire life, which was holding true to those same attributes. And in the end, it is a symbol of Walt’s legacy. While the vehicle itself is part of his legacy, as it is passed on to another generation, it also passes on Walt’s beliefs and hardworking spirit. The Gran Torino evolves in its symbolism where Thao is concerned. It starts out representing the dangerous gang lifestyle that he is about to enter into when he is asked to and attempts to steal the car. As the story proceeds and Walt and Thao begin to form a relationship, it becomes a symbol of that relationship.